Thailand Ranks Second in 2026 Retirement Abroad Index

8 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Residence security. Thailand offers none. It should be way down on the list based on that.

You've been moaning about that for years if not decades, but it's all very theoretical (borderline irrelevant), because in practice and from your own firsthand experience, they've kept extending your stay year after year without fail. The same applies to tens of thousands of fellow retirees.

5 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Why do you think it unreasonable for them to know where you are staying?

You didn't read the post you're replying to. Stop wasting my time.

3 minutes ago, Caldera said:

You've been moaning about that for years if not decades, but it's all very theoretical (borderline irrelevant), because in practice and from your own firsthand experience, they've kept extending your stay year after year without fail. The same applies to tens of thousands of fellow retirees.

I disagree 100 percent.

Everyday people who have been here for many years, in some cases multiple decades are rejected for their annual extenstion for whatever reasons as they have no more status here than the day they started in the retirement system.

It's manageable until it isn't.

More reasonable nations offer a path to increased status, sometimes from day one, as in the permanent resident option to start in Mexico.

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

For what reasons is it not simple or smart?

I’ll ask my first two Thai wives then get back to you on that one.

5 minutes ago, Keeenok Powell said:

I’ll ask my first two Thai wives then get back to you on that one.

So not once but twice, must be simple then...but you made the wrong choice of ladies 👍

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You didn't read the post you're replying to. Stop wasting my time.

I understood your post, did you not understand my question?

I think keeping track of where foreign are residing in the county is a good idea.

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I disagree 100 percent.

Everyday people who have been here for many years, in some cases multiple decades are rejected for their annual extenstion for whatever reasons as they have no more status here than the day they started in the retirement system.

It's manageable until it isn't.

More reasonable nations offer a path to increased status, sometimes from day one, as in the permanent resident option to start in Mexico.

Perhaps they do not want to give out permanent status to foreign nationals.

Maybe they are more concerned with the welfare of the citizenry than they are the visitors.

26 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Perhaps they do not want to give out permanent status to foreign nationals.

Maybe they are more concerned with the welfare of the citizenry than they are the visitors.

More Stockholm Syndrome stuff.

6 hours ago, JerryM said:

And if you don't like the 800k baht in the bank extension requirement, there's always the 15-25k baht 'alternative' option.

I'm guessing you were just joking, but at the rate things are going, going the 'wink, wink, nod, nod' route on visas, sounds like really bad advice right now. You don't see a pattern here? Crack down on unruly behavior, crackdown on 60 day visas, crackdown on nominees, crackdown on mule accounts, heightened scrutiny of foreign deposit holders, confiscation of land, growing resentment of foreigners on social media? Please, nobody accuse me of fear mongering. My ducks are in order. I just have a good memory of some of the things that happened the last time Anutin was in charge, and my advice is to err on the side of caution and avoid doing anything that could end up resulting in your visa being cancelled. Just some helpful advice from someone who has been watching the river flow by for a number of years.

2 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

I'm guessing you were just joking, but at the rate things are going, going the 'wink, wink, nod, nod' route on visas, sounds like really bad advice right now. You don't see a pattern here? Crack down on unruly behavior, crackdown on 60 day visas, crackdown on nominees, crackdown on mule accounts, heightened scrutiny of foreign deposit holders, confiscation of land, growing resentment of foreigners on social media? Please nobody accuse me of fear mongering. My ducks are in order. I just have a good memory of some of the things that happened the last time Anutin was in charge, and my advice is err on the side of caution and avoid doing anything that could end up resulting in your visa being cancelled. Just some helpful advice from someone who has been watching the river flow by for a number of years.

Going the agent route is sometimes an option but it puts expats in a vulnerable legal situation. As said, they could crack down at any moment, so that status is not as good as doing the normal way.

7 hours ago, JerryM said:

And if you don't like the 800k baht in the bank extension requirement, there's always the 15-25k baht 'alternative' option.

I do not understand. What is the 15 - 25k alternative please?

There is 800k in the bank, or 400k for marrieds. 65k or 40k per month from abroad, or a Combination of the two. For me, I have 400k in the bank for years, and send 35k per month via Revolut (not WISE). Accepted by my IO for Retirement Extension for years.

7 hours ago, JerryM said:

And if you don't like the 800k baht in the bank extension requirement, there's always the 15-25k baht 'alternative' option.

This year, my friend who knows every year without the 800,000 so he pays the ฿20-฿25,000 fee was asked to carry a briefcase with ฿805,000 into the bank along with an envelope that he had to give the bank officer to get the letter required. He was of course followed by two people from the company who wanted to make sure that the ฿805,000 was also withdrawn and was given back to them so he even he who cannot afford ฿800,000 into his bank has said he will never do that again he felt like at any moment the police were gonna swoop in and get him for bribery of a bank officer, and who knows what else he was scared to death of what had happened that day. And to be clear last year, the agency took him to the bank deposited 805,000 into his bank account electronically. They printed out the letter and then they left hand in hand out of the bank and off to Immigration but this year was the new the new system.

20 minutes ago, kuzmabruk said:

This year, my friend who knows every year without the 800,000 so he pays the ฿20-฿25,000 fee was asked to carry a briefcase with ฿805,000 into the bank along with an envelope that he had to give the bank officer to get the letter required. He was of course followed by two people from the company who wanted to make sure that the ฿805,000 was also withdrawn and was given back to them so he even he who cannot afford ฿800,000 into his bank has said he will never do that again he felt like at any moment the police were gonna swoop in and get him for bribery of a bank officer, and who knows what else he was scared to death of what had happened that day. And to be clear last year, the agency took him to the bank deposited 805,000 into his bank account electronically. They printed out the letter and then they left hand in hand out of the bank and off to Immigration but this year was the new the new system.

Bit strange as you hsve to show that the money is in the account already for a few months before and after the extension

49 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

I'm guessing you were just joking, but at the rate things are going, going the 'wink, wink, nod, nod' route on visas, sounds like really bad advice right now.

I don't know a bout joking but, if you read elsewhere on this site, to some the decision as to whether you go the 800k in the bank/65k+ plus per month option or 'use an agent' decision has become tantamount to buying a car and the big decision is whether you have the car color black or white.

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Based on how they rate countries

How about risk of death from hurricanes? That puts me off retiring to the Philippines. Not to mention earthquakes!

3 hours ago, wil iam not said:

I do not understand. What is the 15 - 25k alternative please?

There is 800k in the bank, or 400k for marrieds. 65k or 40k per month from abroad, or a Combination of the two. For me, I have 400k in the bank for years, and send 35k per month via Revolut (not WISE). Accepted by my IO for Retirement Extension for years.

He is talking about using an agent

1 hour ago, SunsetT said:

How about risk of death from hurricanes? That puts me off retiring to the Philippines. Not to mention earthquakes!

Sure national disaster risk should be a rated factor. Absolutely.

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Everyday people who have been here for many years, in some cases multiple decades are rejected for their annual extenstion for whatever reasons as they have no more status here than the day they started in the retirement system.

You know people that have been here for decades and suddenly got rejected for no apparent reason?

Maybe those guys didn't mention they did something illegal.

Or maybe just very rude at the Immigration Office and pi**ed off someone in power.

Thailand retirees are helping the GDP. They need retirees here and I doubt they kick anyone out, apart from valid reasons.

2 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

You know people that have been here for decades and suddenly got rejected for no apparent reason?

Maybe those guys didn't mention they did something illegal.

Or maybe just very rude at the Immigration Office and pi**ed off someone in power.

Thailand retirees are helping the GDP. They need retirees here and I doubt they kick anyone out, apart from valid reasons.

I have been here since '99 and do not know anyone that was kicked out of the country.

55 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

You know people that have been here for decades and suddenly got rejected for no apparent reason?

Of course he doesn't, because that just doesn't happen.

11 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Nobody really has to leave 800k in the bank, and seriously, if you don't have 800k cash readily available, you probably shouldn't be retired overseas, without really good health insurance.

Why I'm opposed to the, illegal, 15-25k alternate options, as simply a 'go fund me' waiting to happen, or another hospital getting stiffed with a bill, and makes the rest of us, responsible people, look as bad as those idiots.

Never question why they keep enforcing the fine print, more & more every year.

And how do you pay for health insurance if you are 80 years old? That is, if you can get any.

14 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Based on how they rate countries. I can't take their rankings seriously.

What's missing that's very important?

Residence security. Thailand offers none. It should be way down on the list based on that.

Taxation. There are worse countries but Thailand should lose points for that.

The health insurance point is hilarious. Most retired expats in Thailand avoid the OA and start with an O instead specifically to avoid the pain in the arse health insurance immigration complication of the OA. Of course, having health insurance is desirable but it makes things harder to tie that directly to each annual retirement extension

I think countries that offer (or require) expats to join in decent national health care systems (as getting insurance for older people can often be very problematic) should be very positive for ratings. For example, Costa Rica which I'm not a big fan of otherwise does do that. Other than that Costa Rica is now expensive with a growing crime problem.

More subjective are financial requirements. Lower financial requirements should add points, such as Panama which almost all pensioners can qualify for vs. Malaysia where only a minority can. Who cares what the ranking is if you can't qualify?

Portugal should be downgraded because their immigration is overloaded and things can take a year to get done.

Yet you choose Thailand. If it ranks 10th go elsewhere!

1 minute ago, still kicking said:

And how do you pay for health insurance if you are 80 years old? That is, if you can get any.

I have Thai social medical, B432 per month.

I also have Medicare A & B in the US, ~$202 per month

But I mostly just self-insure.

4 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

I have Thai social medical, B432 per month.

I also have Medicare A & B in the US, ~$202 per month

But I mostly just self-insure.

I pay nothing as a pensioner in OZ.

9 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

I have Thai social medical, B432 per month.

I also have Medicare A & B in the US, ~$202 per month

But I mostly just self-insure.

So if you need major work done, you fly back to America? That would work for everything but accidents. Accidents usually are not as expensive compared to organ issues. Have you tried to apply for a health plan with a 100-200k baht deductible?

2 minutes ago, still kicking said:

How much rent do you pay in LOS? I only pay 250 AUD per week, but I don't live on the East Coast.

We own a nice home in Bangkok, so I do not pay rent.

I have never really measured my quality of life by how cheap I can live.

5 minutes ago, atpeace said:

So if you need major work done, you fly back to America? That would work for everything but accidents. Accidents usually are not as expensive compared to organ issues. Have you tried to apply for a health plan with a 100-200k baht deductible?

Major like what? Not much could happen that would not fit on my credit card, and I could always use the Thai social medical if I needed to.

I used the Thai social medical once, and I have never used the US Medicare.

11 hours ago, baansgr said:

Thailand offers everything for retirees and at a fraction of the cost in most other countries. Visas are one of the easiest and as for citizenship, one of the simplist to obtain, marry a Thai and work after as little as 3 years you can become eligible

If only it were that easy. Many people are left waiting for 4 years or more post application before even being called for an interview by the MOI.

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

Major like what? Not much could happen that would not fit on my credit card, and I could always use the Thai social medical if I needed to.

I used the Thai social medical once, and I have never used the US Medicare.

Cancer or heart surgery with complications, etc. What is this Thai Social Medical? I'm 60 and healthy and interested how others are handling medical costs. I assume you are paying for medicare for a reason?

12 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Cancer or heart surgery with complications, etc. What is this Thai Social Medical? I'm 60 and healthy and interested how others are handling medical costs. I assume you are paying for medicare for a reason?

If you work in Thailand and pay into social security, you get medical and can continue it when you retire.

I pay for Medicare because I visit the US a couple times a year, and I may go back at some point.